Home Ministry asks paramilitary forces to redress grievances fast

The Home Ministry on Friday directed all paramilitary forces to ensure speedy redress of jawans’ grievances even as it submitted a report to the PMO saying “no substance” was found in the complaint by a BSF man that poor quality rations were given to security personnel.

The Home Ministry on Friday directed all paramilitary forces to ensure speedy redress of jawans’ grievances even as it submitted a report to the PMO saying “no substance” was found in the complaint by a BSF man. (HT File Photo)

The Home Ministry on Friday directed all paramilitary forces to ensure speedy redress of jawans’ grievances even as it submitted a report to the PMO saying “no substance” was found in the complaint by a BSF man that poor quality rations were given to security personnel.

In a communication to BSF, CRPF, CISF, SSB, ITBP, NSG and Assam Rifles, the Ministry has asked them to conduct an independent inquiry once a complaint from any jawan is received on any matter and try to resolve it as early as possible.

The seven central paramilitary forces have been asked to inform their personnel about the existing grievance redressal cell and register complaints, if any, without fear, official sources said.

The forces were also asked to ensure that jawans making complaints were not harassed by their superiors.

The paramilitary forces were told to accept complaints through e-letters. Among the seven Central Paramilitary Forces, one has already started receiving the complaints through e-letter, while the other six have been told to follow suit, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Home Ministry has in a report to the Prime Minister’s Office said it has found no substance in a complaint by a BSF jawan that poor quality rations were provided to security personnel posted along the border, asserting “there was no widespread discontent” in the constabulary over food.

In the report, the Home Ministry conveyed to the PMO that there was no shortage of rations at any post in paramilitary forces and quality check was conducted regularly.

A video by BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav complaining about the quality of food had gone viral, triggerred a flurry of reactions with the PMO also seeking a “detailed factual” report on the incident.

The PMO has been told that “there is no widespread discontent in constabulary over food in any paramilitary force”, official sources said.

The BSF has maintained that there was no shortage of rations at any post and security personnel deployed along the border had never complained about food.

The PMO has been conveyed that the Home Ministry has directed the paramilitary forces to take all complaints of jawans seriously and that corrective steps should be taken to improve their working conditions and food, the sources said.

Yadav, wearing camouflage uniform and carrying a rifle, had claimed in the videod that while government procures essentials for them, the officers “sell them off” in an “illegal” manner in the market and the personnel have to suffer.

He had also posted other videos in which he claimed that the quality of food served was not good.